Refactory Academy
As an Office Manager at GEO World Surveyors, Lauryn Hope Tuhaise was the epitome of organization and efficiency. Yet, beneath her sharp administrative routine lay a quiet, unmet ambition. “I always had a desire to get into tech,” she reflects. “I just needed someone to show me the door.”
Today, Tuhaise is an IT personnel at UGANDA EXIM Limited – UGExim spending her days deploying code, automating workflows, and leveraging artificial intelligence. Her remarkable pivot from office administrator to software engineer is more than a personal victory—it is a blueprint for the rapidly evolving landscape of Uganda’s digital workforce.
Tuhaise’s journey into software engineering did not begin with a lifelong obsession with computers. She did not hold a degree in computer science, nor did she grow up writing code. Instead, her primary asset was an innate irritation with inefficient systems that drained human potential.
The turning point arrived when Groundbreaker Talents, an organization dedicated to empowering emerging tech talent, introduced her to Refactory Academy. Backed by a generous scholarship from the 10x Program, Tuhaise took a leap of faith and enrolled in Refactory’s intensive Python Software Engineering certificate program.
Determined to grow further, she immediately progressed to Refactory’s hands-on Apprenticeship program. It is one thing to learn Python syntax; it is entirely another to build a system that digitizes an industry. During her apprenticeship, Tuhaise and her peer developers were handed a massive real-world challenge by the ICPAU (Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda) (ICPAU).
Auditors across Uganda were drowning in legacy paper workflows—burdened by manual data entry, physical files, and outdated verification processes.
As the project’s Technical Lead, Tuhaise found herself coordinating developer workflows, resolving systemic blockers, and shaping backend architecture. Under her leadership, the team built a comprehensive, end-to-end audit management system. The platform successfully automated firm and client onboarding, integrated KYC verification, managed audit execution, and generated polished, digital reports.
“Leading a dynamic team to deliver something that real and that impactful was one of the proudest milestones of my life so far,” Tuhaise says.
Tuhaise is quick to emphasize that her transformation was nurtured by a deeply supportive ecosystem. At Refactory Academy, she found a masterclass in technical mentorship.
She credits facilitators Eric Muhwezi for his endless patience with complex concepts; Latim Mark and Jackson Ssengendo for their steady, inclusive presence ; and Ozzy, who offered unwavering support in high-pressure moments. She also encountered Ivan Koreta, a notoriously tough instructor. “He pushed hard, he demanded more… because he saw potential in [us] that we had not yet seen in ourselves,” she explains.
Armed with technical expertise and a newly minted professional confidence, Tuhaise now looks toward Uganda’s broader digital horizon with a highly specific, ambitious vision.
“I want us to stop being consumers of software and start being the ones shipping solutions that compete on the world stage,” she says. Her long-term goals include building fraud-prevention systems to protect financial assets, actively training the next generation of youth, and eventually establishing her own scalable tech solutions firm.
Tuhaise’s advice to those hesitating to make their own career pivot is refreshingly direct:
“It is the best decision you will ever make. You will leave with hands-on experience, a skill for life, and a community that will push you further than you imagined.”
Her transition from GEO World Surveyors to the tech department of Exim Bank Uganda proves that the digital economy isn’t reserved for those with computer science degrees —it belongs to those with the curiosity to learn, the drive to build, and the courage to walk through the door.
If you are looking to acquire in-demand software engineering skills, pivot your career, or join a community of driven innovators, discover what Refactory Academy can do for you. Visit www.refactory.academy to explore upcoming intake details, certificate programs, and scholarship opportunities.
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Refactory is a software-skilling academy addressing the need to produce skilled software developers in Uganda today. We are training the next generation of software developer talent and experts responsive to the needs of the ecosystem.
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